Air compression and utilizing device.



No. 767,027. l A PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. M. C. WILKINSON. AIR GOMPRBSSION AND UTILIZING DEVICE.

` APPLICATION FILED DEO. 13. 1900., N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

AlFt COMPRESSION AND UTILIZING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,027, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed. December 13, 1900. Serial No. 39,778. (No model.)

To all whom it may col/1.007%.-

Be it known that I, MELVILLE C. WILKIN- SON, a citizen oi' the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Recompressing, Conveying', and Distributing Compressed Air as a Motive Force, oi' which the following' is a speciiication.

My invention relates to certain novel modes of controlling the compression, recompression, conveyance, and distribution of air under pressure in that class of machinery in which compressed air is used as a means to transmit motive force to drive machinery more or less distant from the primary source of power in which the exhausted air is recompressed for reuse. A

The objects of my invention are to reduce the size and weight oi' compressed-air machinery, to do away with Water-jacketing or other cooling' devicesmo matter what pressure is used, to enable unevenly-developed power to be utilized at any speed or in any direction, and to generate only the power required to operate the working machinery. I accomplish these objects by means ot' the mechanism described herein, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view oiE my improved apparatus, partly in horizontal section, the connecting-pipes being broken away in places. Fig. Q is a plan view of the quick-acting valve I and its operating mechanism, the pistonchambcr being shown in central longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a side view ot' the valve I and connections. Fig. 4. is an edge view oi the valve I, one-half being' in section.

A is an air-compressing cylinder of ordinary construction without cooling devices and is provided with a third or auxiliary ordinary air-admission port A at one end ot' the cylinder only. Upon the oscillation oi the piston B air is forced alternately trom the space on the sides of piston B through the emissionvalves a a into pipe C, and trom thence into reservoir D, and thence into controller E, and thence to the working' machinery. Cn the return from the working machinery the air again passes through the controller into reservoir F and thence through pipe G- and admission-valves 7) o into the air-compressor. The pipes C and G are connected by a by-pass pipe H, on which is placed a quick-acting valve I and its operating' mechanism, (hereinafter more fully explainech) which when the pressure in pipe C reaches a predetermined point-say two hundred pounds-is automatically opened by the mechanism shown in section in Fig. 2 and consists of the chamber K, containing a piston K', held against the airpressure in chamber L by spring K". Chamber L is connected by pipe L to pipe C. `When the pressure in pipe C reaches one hundred and ninety-live pounds, the piston K begins to compress spring K" and also spring M. Vhen the tension of spring' M has reached, for example, live pounds, this pressure being communicated to lever N, pivoted at N', and pin N" within fork of lever I of valve I, the expansion of spring M will move lever N in the direction of the arrow, causing' the mechanism to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, with the spring .I then in notch J on the hub of the lever I". 'The valve is thenopen. lVhen the pressure in chamber L again returns to one hundred and ninety-five pounds, spring M causes spring .I to leave notch J". The mechanism then assumes its iirst position, and the valve is closed. As long as no air is being' used by the working machinery this by-pass H remains open, the air circulating through pipes C H Gr and compressor Aat the same pressure. I/Vhen air is used by the working machinery, the pressure in pipe C falls, thus closing valve I, When the air is thenfpumped from pipe (-ir into pipe- C. In pipe G is placed quick-acting valve C, similar' in construction to valve I and operated by similar mechanism, only the chamber back of the spring-pressed piston is connected to pipe G instead ot' pipe C by pipe O. Between the valve O and the ley-pass H on pipe Gr is placed a check-valve P to permit air to pass 'from the controller E to the compressor A, but will prevent air from passing in the opposite direction from pipe Cthrough bypass H and valve O to the controller E when valve I is open. Valve O being at one hundred pounds pressure will give one hundred IOO -haust of the working machinery.

pounds pressure on the working machinery and allow the compressed air from the compressor to expand to but two volumes, and thus prevent freezing, and as the compressor will then receive air at one hundred pounds pressure it has to compress it to two hundred pounds or to but one-half its volume. Therefore the compressor requires no cooling devices. Until reservoir F has received air to raise its pressure to one hundred pounds and open valve O air is drawn into the mechanism through valve A until both reservoirs D and F have been pumped up to pressure, when valve O opens and the compressor pumps direct from reservoir F, which receives the ex- I/Vhenever the pressure drops in pipes C and G, due to loss by leakage, and valves I and O are neither of them open, then the compressor pumps by using the compressor as a single-actingpump than ii' it were double-acting, for if it were required to pump as a double-acting compressor from atmospheric to two hundred pounds pressure it would require nearly twice as powerful initial motive force as is required after the pipes are charged to one hundred pounds when the compressor has to compress it to but another ione hundred pounds.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an air-compression system, the combination with a compression-cylinder provided with an induction and an eduction port at either end thereof, a high-pressure reservoir connected with the eduetion-ports, a low-pressure reservoir connected with the inductionports, a controller with which the reservoirs are connected, and a pipe extending between the connections ot' the reservoirs and cylinder, oi' a pressure-operated valve in the pipe, a check-valve in the connection leading from the low-pressure reservoir to the cylinder and a quick-acting valve located in said connection, pneumatic mechanism for operating the valve, the pneumatic mechanism'set to operate only when a predetermined pressure is reached.

2. The combination with a compression-cylinder, high and low pressure reservoirs connected therewith, a pipe extending between the connections, a valve in the pipe and means for controlling the valve, of a rotary valve in the connection between the low-pressure reservoir and the cylinder, a chamber connected with the connection, a piston in the chamber, a valve-forli on the valve, a lever connected therewith, the piston adapted to engage the lever and means for normally retaining the piston at one limit or' its movement until overcome by a predetermined pressure.

3. In a system for compressing using and recompressing air under pressure as amotive power, a double-acting' air-compressor having induction ports connecting the said compressor with the low-pressure side oi' the system and eduction-ports connecting the said compressor with the high-pressure side of the system and an induction-port connecting one end only of the compressor with the external air; an inwardly-opening valve in the induction-port leading to the open air, adapted to open 1and feed air into one end or' the compresser only when the pressure therein falls below the external air-pressure.

4. 'lhe combination with a compression-cylinder, high and low pressure reservoirs, and

pipes connecting the reservoirs, and cylinder, a by-pass pipe extending between the connecting-pipes, of a valve therein, means connected with the valve andwith the high-pressure reservoir to operate the valve, the means comprising a chambered casing in communication with the. high -pressure reservoir, a plunger in the casing, a spring for retaining the plunger against the normal pressure of the reservoir, a fork-arm connected with the valve, a lever stationarily pivoted at one end the opposite end connected vwith the fork-arm and a block yieldingly held by the plunger and connected with the lever.

5. The combination with a compression-cylinder, high and low pressure reservoirs connected therewith and a pipe. extending between the high and low pressure connections, of a rotary valve in the pipe, a forked arm connected therewith, a chambered casing connected with the high -pressure reservoir, a plunger in the casing, the plunger provided with an extension protruding outside the casing, a block yieldably supported in the plunger extension means for retaining the plunger in position against the normal high pressure, and a lever connected with the arm and with the yieldingly-supported block.

In witness that I claim the foregoingI have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of November, 1900.

MELVILLE C. VILKINSN.

Vitnesses:

Gr. E. HARPHAM, 'H. T. HAZARD.

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